Hiding in Plain Sight
by Sikanna
Summary: What if Hellmaster Phibrizo wasn't quite as dead as everyone thought?


**Hiding in Plain Sight**

Author: Sikanna

**Disclaimer**: Slayers does not belong to me, all rights and characters belong to their creators.

Hellmaster Phibrizo rubbed his hands together and grinned an a distinctly sinister way. 'Everything is going just as I planned.' He remembered what it had been like to be punished by L-Sama and grimaced. 'Ok, I didn't plan that part, but it worked out like I wanted. I have a lot more freedom now that everyone-especially that blasted Inverse brat- thinks I'm dead.' Even Zellas thought he was dead. He snorted in disgust. one would think that beings of such power would remember that he, as Hellmaster, was immortal.

It did make sense though...they didn't have immortality, merely longevity, and their simple minds refused to comprehend that he was truly immortal. Most of them anyway...Dolfin had a vague sense of his power, but thankfully preferred to maintain something of a non-interference policy.

His life would be so much easier if he could just kill the pesky insects that kept getting in his way, but nooo, Mother liked them, claimed they entertained her...

Oh well, there was a large gap between not killing and torturing or maiming.

Speaking of maiming...

He looked down at his hands...the hands of a young boy. He really did enjoy these disguises. Any being with sufficient power could appear to be someone else, but her could actually do it.

He sighed in pleasure at the memory of countless thousands, all through time, fleeing in terror as they realized who the innocent-looking child before them really was He also remembered the slick feel of their blood sliding through his fingers...over his skin... 'Those were the days.'

He inspected his nails "The only downside to torture" he mumbled in half-hearted complaint "is that it is nearly impossible to keep clean." Not that he really cared about having someone else's blood on him, it normally meant that he had been ahvingfun.

He peered over his shoulder at the mauled body of a small boy, one that looked exactly like him. "Don't worry" he cheerfully told the corpse "I'll take your place and no one will know any different...not for a while anyway." Not until it was far too late.

Phibrizo had come to the conclusion a long time ago, that the best way to disguise yourself as a humans, was to take the place of one already living. He had chosen his new identity carefully; wanting to choose one that had a family, but not that was too large. Or too small. Too small and they would notice discrepancies when he acted slightly out of character, too large and they might sell him off so they continue to feed the rest.

That happened once...

He shook his head of the memories, now was not the time.

His new identity was perfect. The boy lived with his mother, grandfather, and sister. The father had stupidly gone out to defend the village and had gotten himself killed the week before. Any changes in personality would be contributed to grief, and no questions would be asked.

His musings were cut short when he heard The boy's mother voice call out his new name. 'What is her name again? Naciel? Yes..." That was the name he pulled from the boy's memories.

He had taken all the boy's memories, but they wouldn't become truly part of him for another hour at least. It would have been done sooner, but he had taken more time than necessary to 'play' with the boy before killing him. Which explained the excess blood.

With a thought, he cleansed the blood from his person, and destroyed he boy's corpse. Just in time too.

"Ellon!" The boy's...'his' mother shouted from the mouth of the cave.

"Coming Mother!" he shouted, running toward her.

"Might as well act as childish as possible until the memories are truly mine.' Already they were becoming merged, starting with the most recent. It was the ones of the host's early life that took the most time.

Foremost in the boy's consciousness was a deep seated fear of disobeying his mother. 'Humans' he thought in disgust. 'Oh well, I'll bide my time for a few years, and then go hunt down Inverse. In a decade or so, Mother won't be as interested in her, and she'll let me ...play.'

Phibrizo let out a childish giggle, getting into character, and thought of the bloodbath that would occur when the villagers outlived their usefulness.

He could afford to bide his time though...after all, he was immortal.


End file.
